Protector for ladies&#39; stockings



Oct. 28, 1947. J. E. HORN PROTECTOR FOR LADIES" STOCKINGS Filed April 13, 1944 /2 v NVENTOR Patented Oct. '28, ,1947

,rnoracros FOR moms STOCKINGS" f Jacque-E. Horn, New'Yoi-hlf. Y. A plication Aprillii; 1944, SeriaI No. 530,314

"This invention relates toimprovements in pro, tectors for ladies" stockings, and more particularly to an article capable of efiiciently performing its 'protecting'function on all parts or sections ofthe stocking when in use and of being folded'or rolled into a 'smallpacka'ge capable at being carried in the handbag or-pocket-book or purse when nfltin use,

Heretofore various types of stocking p otectors have been proposed, such as leggings, and in some cases such'leg'gins have embodied foot.- pjortions; but those devices embodying foot portions cover; the upperportion of the shoe of the wearer as well"a'sthe stocking, and necessarily either embodied an'op'eningfo'r the passageoithe heel of the shceorhadfastening.elements for fastening the device tothe ioutside of the shoe.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a protectoroithe type specified which has a foot portion intended .to; be worn beneath the,-

shoe andj'is provided with integral heel section fitting and engaging the peer of the wearer to retain thelower eri'd of'thedeviceilin proper/position.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in a device of the character specified, an integral heel section having the conformation of a spherical segment that will closely conform in shape to and fit the heel of the wearer and thus to utilize the heel of the device as an anchoring or a retaining portion for the lower end of the protector without the use of extraneous fastening devices or the like.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a protector of the type specified having a toe-protecting section capable of use when desired but connected to the heel portion by an integral, narrow and elastic but readily-severable strap to enable the wearer to remove the toe section, if and when desired.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a protector of the type specified having a foot portion, intended to be worn inside the shoe of the wearer and provided with integral ankle and heel sections adapted automatically during application of the protector to enga e the heel and ankle sections for the purpose of holding the lower end of the protector in place, and also having a, substantially open section extending over and across the instep or metatarsal section as well as across the arch of the foot for the purpose of ventilating and avoiding the heating of the foot that would occur if the middle portion of the foot were completely covered by waterproof material, while providing protection tion comprises the combination of members and arrangement ofparts socombined as to co-act and cooperate with eachother. in .the performance rein-1a.. (015241)" forsectionsrof the instep and heel that are exposed by ertairttypesofshoes.

. With'theseand-other'objects in view, the invene of the functions .andjtheaccomplishment of the results hereinspecificd, and compri in i a ptations thetspe ies, illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, :in' which:

Fig; Us a viewJin side elevation showing my pro..- tector'iorlfadie's" stockings ,in unrolled condition;- ,Fig; 215 a yiew in sideelevati'on of my protectorv showing the leg portion rolled down and the foot portion being applied to the foot of the wearer; Fig. 3 is aviewjjoljthe article shown in Figs. l and? with theenti're protector including the leg portion in place on the wearer,

Fi 4 isjabottom-"plan, view of the u'napplied pro-t c o qshown in Fisa d Y I a Fi 5 is a pottomplan viewiof the protector in pp i dpositionas shown mm. 3'.

R ferring now to these drawings, which m tratera preierredl embodimentoi-myinvention, In

indicates a protector of my invention preferably composed entirely of thin, waterproof material, such as high-grade transparent and elastic rubber. The article comprises, as shown, a leg .portion 10a. of elongated tubular or substantially ylindrical conformation and a foot portion H integral therewith and composed of an ankle section ll flaring outwardly and downwardly and merging with a heel section l2 having the shape of a segmental sphere adapted to engage and fit the similarly shaped heel of the wearer and a cap or hood-shaped toe section l3 isolated from the heel and ankle sections and connected thereto at the bottom of the protector by a relatively thin integral strap l4.

All of the parts of my protector are elastic and thin and my protector is adapted to be directly applied over the stockinged foot of the wearer and the foot portion II is intended to be worn beneath and within the shoe.

In many forms of ladies shoes, the heel section is open to expose the stocking and in other types of ladies shoes, the toe and heel sections are both open and exposed and it is the purpose of my invention to protect the stockings of the wearers of both types of shoes, and also to enable a wearer who uses only the type exposing the heel, to eliminate the toe-protecting portion of the protector.

In the preferred form of my invention, the leg portion Illa is of somewhat heavier material 3 than the foot portion which though formed integrally and merging with the leg portion is composed of highly elastic and very thin material If the toe portion of the stocking is exposed by the shoe, then the cap-shaped toe section is applied, as shown in Fig. 2 and the roll I! is unrolled and moved upwardly on the leg of the wearer.

' 4 said leg portion and a heel-section integrally connected to said leg and ankle section and having a conformation adapted to fit the heel snugly over the stocking and to automatically grip the stocking and foot of said wearer to retain and anchor the protector in position beneath the vertical axis of the leg portion, said foot portion being provided with a foot outlet opening extending at the bottom of the foot from said integral heel and ankle sections forwardly to thelforward extremity of the foot, whereby, in the operation of applying the protector, a wide opening is provided for free projection of the entire bottom portion of the As illustrated the upper edge of the leg portion is finished with an integral rib which may be hollow, if desired, and this rib will serve as an axis about which the leg portion of the protector may be rolled down on theleg, andalsomaybe' rolled initially about a form to produce a'smalL'tight package that may be carried in the purse or pocketbook of the wearer;

The operation of the device will be, obvious from the foregoing description and it "will sufiice to say that when the protector is rolled up; it may be applied as shown in Fig.2 whereupon the heel of the wearer will be automatically gripped by the heel section of the protector,. the toe'section may, if beingused, be slipped overithe .toe and the leg portion will then be rolled up on the leg. To remove the protector, the operation or movement of rolling is reversed. 1.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A protector forladies. stockings embodying, in combination, a leg portion comprising an elongated one-piece tubular body of thin elastic waterproof material, adapted to. enclose the leg and to snugly fit over the up'per' parts of the stocking of the wearer, and provided'at its top with an openingtopermit the downward ins'ertion of the foot and leg, a foot portion having an ankle-covering section formed integrally with foot forwardly of the heel section while guiding the heel section into position, said foot portion also having a short toe-enclosing section connected with said heel section by a relativelynarrow integral elastic strap extending beneath the sole of the foot whereby the toe-section may be severed from the heel section to cooperate with shoes having coveredtoes and may be retained tocooperate with shoes havingopen toe portions.

, JACQU HORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number FOREIGN PAIENTs Country Date Great Britain Feb. 23, 1940 Great Britain L Jan. 23, 1930 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1925 Number Kendrick Aug. 16, 1898 

